Tuesday, 6 February 2024

Ministers statements: National Corrections Day

Enver ERDOGAN (Northern Metropolitan – Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (12:55): Last month we acknowledged National Corrections Day, an opportunity to say thank you to all our hardworking corrections staff and recognise their efforts and commitment to keeping all Victorians safe. As the Minister for Corrections, I have had the privilege of meeting many of the dedicated people that work in Victoria’s correctional facilities and in our communities right across the state. Their work is vital to the good functioning of our justice system and to making Victoria the fantastic place it is to live, learn and work. There are over 4000 staff members across the state’s correctional facilities and in community corrections services across the state. I want to take this moment to put on record our government’s thanks for all the work that they have done over the past year and all the work that they continue to do. Prisons, post-sentence facilities and community corrections locations mark National Corrections Day in a range of different ways, including with staff barbecues and social events. Some facilities were lit up in blue to mark the day.

I would also like to acknowledge a couple of my colleagues in the other place – Nina Taylor, the Parliamentary Secretary for Justice; and Juliana Addison, the chair of the Women’s Correctional Services Advisory Committee – who also joined in the celebration. And I thank the staff on behalf of our government.

The theme for this year’s National Corrections Day is staff wellbeing. Corrections can sometimes be a challenging environment to work in, and I am proud of our government and the way we have supported our staff and invested in services and facilities for all our corrections staff. Of course if anyone is looking for an exciting and rewarding career, we are recruiting new corrections staff regularly. So please give it a shot if you think it could be for you.

Georgie Crozier: On a point of order, President, I know the Minister for Children had difficulty in answering some of my questions, but I do not believe she answered the questions relating to children that have been involved in criminal activity. Her answers went no way to answering the two questions I put to her, and I would ask that they be reinstated.

The PRESIDENT: I can review the answers. I believed in real time that for the minister the categorisation of some of the children in care in your question – she did not agree that they actually fell into that category. But I am always happy to review, so I will get back to the chamber.